The authors of a survey featured in that report, Bruce Brown and Rob Miller, of Proactive Coaching, LLC, gathered responses from college athletes over 30 years, asking them what phrase their parents said to them that meant the most and propelled them to enjoy themselves and motivated them to always perform at their very best.

Their answer was simple, yet brilliant, and has made an indelible mark on me. The sentence was: "I love to watch you play."

That's it. No crazed sideline coaching, not insults hurled at the refs or umps or coaches. No familial dysfunction, no detriment to our children. Nothing to confuse or feed their probable insecurity, kids who may or may not already be nervous on the field, on the court, in the pool, on the stage.

Just "I love to watch you play," the unadulterated appreciation from us parents, with no harsh judgment of blunders big or small: of fumbles or missed goals; of dropped fly balls or weak defense; of slower breaststroke times or missed free throws; of notes sung or played off-key.

Our kids just need to be reminded that we are their biggest fans, regardless of whether they had the game of their lives or fell short. They need to hear we love them, win or lose.

Recently, my 10-year-old twin daughters played for the 2014 All-Stars Girls 10s for Snug Harbor Little League. The long and rigorous try-out process paled in comparison to the daily practices — sometimes twice a day.

The three All-Star games were intense, not just because there are so many talented ball players on Staten Island (which there were, my God!) but because the girls poured in so much hard work, not to mention the blazing July sun that nearly scorched the cheering fans in the stands, with no hint of a breeze for hours.

But none of the Snug Harbor parents or grandparents cared. We loved every second. After all, it was all about our girls.

From where I stood, players of ALL the Staten Island All-Star leagues — as well as the regular-season teams, girls and boys — play their hearts out. It was a pleasure to watch and a privilege of which to be a part.

Thank you to the Snug Girls 10s All-Star coaches — KC Senk, Amy Zuntag, and George Dougherty — for your time, patience, encouragement, kindness and expertise. All our girls had fun and shared memories they'll not soon forget.

I asked the coaches and the players of the 2014 Snug Harbor Girls All-Star 10s why the post-season experience was important to them. This is what they had to say. Thanks for reading and see you at Fall Ball.

Coach K.C.Senk (All-Star Coach for SHLL):

Coaching is not just learning the game it is also teaching respectful behavior, fairness and good sportsmanship. It's good to see the girls progress and improve. To see the girls execute what you practice everyday is a great feeling. To see each girl improve their skills. Teach the girls to win or lose with class. I love to see a bunch of girls that really don't know each other on the first day of practice and then to see them at the end like a team of sisters. I find coaching to be rewarding.

Coach George Dougherty (All-Star Coach for SHLL):

My reason for coaching all stars? The enjoyment and pride that I got by watching these 10 and 11 year old girls commit to themselves and their teammates to play at very high competition levels, by practicing everyday and sometimes twice a day. While at the same time enjoying themselves and having fun with their teammates. These girls not only embraced the hard work, but looked forward to our next practice. I am certain the all star experience has created a memory that will stay with them for their entire lives — I know it will with me.

Coach Amy Zuntag (All-Star Coach for SHLL):

I coach because I love softball and I enjoy working with children. Growing up Snug Harbor was a big part of my life. With 2 older brothers and a younger sister, we spent countless hours at the ball field and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Now, I spend countless hours at the field for my children, hoping to provide them with the same memorable experiences I had. My coaches taught me how to always try my best, while also teaching about teamwork and learning to win and lose with class (as well as using proper grammar: I HAVE it, Mr Woodman). These lessons apply to life off the field as well as on the field. Coaching is fun way to connect with the kids; to have fun playing a game, while also teaching them little life lessons along the way.

Coach Veronica Cangemi (SHLL regular season coach):

Coaching has been an amazing experience throughout the seasons. To take a bunch of girls of all ages and from various schools and watch them become a team of friends and ball players is wonderful. It's not easy juggling work, siblings and meals but when you see their smiling faces it makes it all worth it. These girls play hard, as hard as the boys and I am so proud to have been a part of it.

Coach Artie Schmitt (SHLL regular season coach):

I enjoy teaching the kids all of the wisdoms passed down to me. I played division 1 baseball at Monmouth University, where I was voted Monmouth baseball MVP in 1991 while also being voted to the all-northeast conference 1st team in both 1991 and 1992. Also played professional baseball for the Chillicothe Paints of the Frontier League based in Chillicothe, Ohio. Being that this is Ashley's first year playing softball, I was very proud of how hard she worked to get better from day 1 and she really enjoyed the game thanks to all of her coaches this year.

Tatiana Mroczek (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

Hello, I'm Tatiana and I'm 10 years old. I was so happy to be chosen as All-Star because everyone was so supportive and I learned a lot. When someone was up to bat, the rest of the team was on the fence, cheering. I'll always remember when I stole home plate and the crowd went crazy! I was so happy. What I truly loved was the fun we had at the parties before the games and going out to eat with the team after the games. At every practice, we took turns bringing snacks and ate lots of fruit. It was very healthy. We even gave each each other nicknames: I was Tater-Tot; Angelica was Jelly-Bean; Riley was Rye-Berry; Brooke was Brookie-Cookie and Amanda was Amanda-Panda, to name a few.

Katie Dougherty (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

I felt it was an honor to be chosen for Allstars. Practicing everyday, learning new skills has made me a better softball player. I loved making new friends and the team spirit that we all had. The special uniforms, ceremonies and great coaches made it a wonderful experience for me!

Angelina Guerriero (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

It is important because it is my passion and I really love playing. Playing ball runs in my family and I really love it. It is fun and really a great opportunity.

Olivia Scarpaci (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

It was important being an All-Star because it gave me confidence to know that I was a good player. I was a little nervous because I had played in the minors because I was younger. I was also excited because it meant all the hard work I put into playing softball was worth it. I gained a great deal of skill and confidence from all the practices and I am especially happy I did it because I made great friends and an excited to play with them next year in the majors.

Brooke Perez (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

Being an All Star is important to me because I love to play softball! It's hard work but so much fun to make new friends, learn softball skills and practice together. It was a great experience!

Riley Senk (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

Being on the All Star Team is important to me because you get to do your favorite sport every day. It's nice to play with girls that you play against during the year and they become new friends. It's nice to learn new things and play as a team. As a team we stick together and back each other up. Win or lose we play together and play as a team.

Nadia Beck (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

(Nadia couldn't be reached for comment, at time this column went to press. I imagine she is in the Carribean, building sand castles and enjoying a refreshing beverage, recovering from her awesome catching and batting All-Star performance.)

Ashley Schmitt (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

Being a softball all-star is important to me because it was a very important memory in my life. All the games, practices, parties, and BPs made me love it even more! Thank you coaches for an amazing season and for making me an all star.

Kelly Baker (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

Being a softball all star was important to me because I felt like all my practice and hardwork paid off. I got to learn a lot of things from the "older girls" that we don't do in minors yet. It also gave me confidence for next year. I was so happy that people thought I was good at a sport that I really love playing. This was also a great opportunity to meet and play with really good 5th graders. My coaches taught me so much in such a short time and I had so much FUN doing it. I can't wait for fall ball to start.

Amanda Zuntag (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

Being an all star was important to me because I got to spend a lot of time with my friends, some old friends and I even made new ones. We all learned together and got better. I love to play softball. I'm especially proud of our 9 year old players, Olivia and Kelly, because they played really well. I think all the girls on our team did great.

Chaney Cangemi (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

All-stars meant a lot to me because I got to play softball even when the regular season was over. It was a lot of hard work and sacrifice but I really love softball so it was fun to be able to keep playing.

Angelica Mroczek (2014 SHLL Girls 10s All-Star):

The best part about being the pitcher on the All-Star team was playing against awesome girls from other leagues. Plus, we got special uniforms: a cool black jersey with our names and Snug Harbor on it; Jennie Finch headbands; cool-looking socks; even your family members get special red shirts they wore to the games. My favorite part was the introductions. When you first enter the field and every time you're up to bat, they say your name, number and position over the loudspeaker. Then you high-five everyone, touch home plate, and take your positions. My teammates always cheered me on when I was pitching or up to bat. My coaches helped me persevere, be persistent, and pitch well. They all had my back. It was a great experience. Thank you.